Tycoons and business moguls are known for their extravagant and often eccentric housing choices. But one controversial business tycoon has taken luxury mansions to new heights — 400 feet, to be precise.
Sitting on top of a 33-story luxury apartment complex in Bengaluru, India, this sky mansion is over 40,000 square feet with two floors, a helipad, lush gardens, an infinity swimming pool, and a 360-degree viewing deck.
Courtesy of sriharikaranth instagram
Irfan Razac, the chairman of Prestige Estates Projects, which is part of a joint development agreement to construct the tower, previously said of the project: “It was a challenge to construct the mansion on a huge cantilever at that height, but we have ensured we build it exactly the way it was conceived.”
Prestige Constructions did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
The house has an estimated value of $20 million.
Another spectacualr home owned by India’s superrich is the Ambani family’s Mumbai tower, Antilia. It cost an estimated $1 billion to build. It includes nine elevators, a 50-seat cinema, and a full-service spa as well as a 168-car garage and three helipads.
The Ambani residence is 27 stories high, although its many double-height ceilings mean it’s closer in height to a traditional 40-story building.
Ashwin Nagpal
The sky mansion in Bengaluru, though, was designed for Indian businessman Vijay Mallya and is entirely separate from the apartments below.
The apartment block, known as Kingfisher Towers, was built on a 4.5-acre plot of land that once housed Mallya’s ancestral home.
Vijay Mallya might never get to live in the mansion
There’s a real possibility that Mallya won’t ever get to live in the sky mansion.
Mallya was known as the “king of good times” for his opulent lifestyle, according to The Financial Times, but in March 2016, he fled India after defaulting on debts of more than $1 billion and faced fraud charges. He sought refuge in the UK.
Reuters
India has made numerous attempts to extradite the billionaire who made his fortune in the alcoholic beverages business under the popular Kingfisher brand. According to recent statistics, in India, the Kingfisher Strong beer brand had a market share of 36 percent and has extended its presence to 69 countries, including Japan, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway.
Later in his career, Mallya tried his hand at the aviation industry and Formula 1 racing.
In August of last year, when asked about the possible extradition of Mallya back to India, Tom Tugendhat, British Minister of State Security, told Press Trust of India that, “We both have legal processes that must be gone through. But the UK government is absolutely clear, we have no intention of becoming a place where those who are seeking to evade justice can hide.”
In January, The Times of India reported that a delegation composed of representatives from India’s Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate, and National Investigation Agency was set to visit the UK to expedite the extradition of some of India’s most wanted fugitives who had taken refuge in the UK.
On the list were defense dealer Sanjay Bhandari, diamond trader Nirav Modi, and Vijay Mallya.
